Brook



(No Model.) A. O.ESTABROOK.

BRUSH. I

Patented MaQr. 3, 1,896.

?rf/awrF/Tal. 5 fl me-w 19, Q g i I ANDREW lGRAIMNLPHDTO U'THU WASNINGTUILDC UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALANSON C. ESTABROOK, OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FLORENCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BRUSH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,687, dated March 3, 1896.

Application filed January 17, 1894:. Serial No. 497,141. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALANSON O. ESTA- BROOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Northampton, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brushes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Heretofore hair-brushes have been made in which the body of the brush is composed of metal shells-namely, an upper one, which is termed the back, and a lower one, which is termed the face, the latter being perforated and having bristles set in the perforations, and the said face and back being secured together by uniting the edges thereof. The said shells lack sufficient stiffness or rigidity to obviate collapsing and indenting, and hence are very liable to injury by being accidentally or otherwise subjected to sudden pressure andfalls. It has been proposedheretofore to use a brush-block of wood corresponding in shape with the body of a brush,but not extending into the handle portion thereof, this block being perforated to correspond with the face shell. The face shell having been applied to the block the edge of the former is to be turned up around that of the latter, and then the bristles are to be applied by drawing them into the perforations in the face and block, they being secured by wires, the back being secured in place by turning or bending its edge upon the previously-turned edge of the face. The brush-block prevents the shells from collapsing, except in the handle portion. It is difficult, however, so to apply the shells to the block in the first instance as that they shall fit to the latter perfectly on both the upper and the lower surfaces thereof, skilled labor and expensive appliances are required in the production of the brush, the shells do not remain in contact with the upper and lower faces of the block but spring away therefrom and then become liable to injury, the block loosens through shrinking, the brush is liable to twist in the handle portion under torsional strain, and the inserting and securing of the bristles are slow and expensive operations.

My invention relates to brushes of the class mentioned above, and has for its objects to provide a brush of such class of novel and improved construction, which shall be strong and durable, free from liability to collapse or become indented under hard usage, free from liability to twist at the handle under torsional strain, and free from the defects and disadvantages set forth above, and also to simplify and render more convenient and inexpensive and expeditious the process of manufacture.

The invention first will be described fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have represented the best embodiment of my invention which I have yet devised, and the distinguishing features thereof are particularly pointed out and distinctlydefined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View showing in longitudinal section ahair-brush embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view showing the body of a brush in similar section, a modification of the construction being embodied therein. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another modification.

At 1 in the drawings is shown the upper portion or back of a brush-body, and at 2 the lower portion or face thereof. These parts are secured togetherby overlapping the edges or flanges of the said parts or shells, as shown at 3. The precise manner of overlapping the edges or flanges is not important in my present invention; but I prefer to overlap them, as shown-namely, by turning out the edges of both of the shells and then folding the edge of one shell around the edge of the other. In this way the two parts of the body may be secured together firmly without the aid of any independent securing means, such as solder, rivets, and the like, and a neat and finished joint may be formed. The shells are struck up from thin sheet metal into the desired shape. At 21 are the perforations which are made in the lower or face shell for the reception of the bristles 4. Preferably, the inner ends of the bristles are burned to expand them in the usual manner. After the bristles have been inserted into the said perforations a mass of plastic composition or cement 5 is placed inside the cavity of the face shell and allowed to flow around and completely cover and embed the inner ends of the bristles. This composition or cement secures the bristles in place. lleretofore bristles have been secured in this manner; butin this, my present invention, I use a quantity of composition or cement greater than customary and sufficient to substantially fill the cavity of the face shell. The object in using so much of the composition or cement is to form of it a reinforce which is firmly adherent to the in terior surface of the face shell and serves to stiffen such shell and give it the desired solidity and rigidity.

A second and separate reinforce 6 is in sertedinto the cavity of the back shell. This reinforce consists preferably of a layer or veneer of wood which I shape to correspond in edge contour with the said cavity. The said layer or veneer is secured to the interior surface of the back shell bymeans of some suitable adhesive material 51, preferably shellac, coatings of which are applied to the contacting-surfaces of the shell and layer or veneer before inserting the latter into the cavity of the former. The said layer or veneer having been inserted into place in the cavity of the back shell, the two are subjected to considerable pressure between dies in the presence of heat. This molds the wood perfectly to the internal conformation and configuration of the cavity in the back shell, causing it to conform to all the curves and to any depressions or elevations which may be made therein by ornamental figures or the like. It also causes the flexible layer or veneer to become intimately united throughout its contacting-surface with the interior surface of the back shell. As soon as the adhesive material is hard and firm, the reinforced back is ready to be applied to the reinforced face having the bristles set therein. The two having been put together, they are united by overlapping the flanges of the shells in the manner previously described, and the brush is then complete.

The reinforce for the back shell extends throughout the handle of the brush, as shown in the case of a brush having a handle, thereby obviating all tendency of the handle to twist under torsional strain. The said reinforce may be of increased thickness in the handle portion of the brush (see Fig. 1) in order to obtain suflicient rigidity in the handle to prevent flexure thereof without reinforcing the handle portion of the face shell.

Vhcn it is desired to reinforce the handle portion of the face shell, as usually is the case, in order to strengthen the same and prevent it from indenting or collapsing, a reinforce of wood 7 is employed therein, as shown in Fig. 2. In the case of reinforcing the handle portion of the face shell in the manner just described the wooden reinforce of the back shell may be of uniform thickness throughout the entire length thereof, as at 01 in Fig. 3.

The leading feature of my invention is the employment of a reinforce for the back shell which is independent of the means employed for securing the bristles in place in the face shell, and reinforcing the latter shell. In the process of manufacture the operations by which the two shells are separately prepared for being joined are performed conveniently and readily, and skilled labor is not required. I am enabled also, in consequence of this feature, to subject the back shell and its reinforce to pressure between dies, as aforesaid, and thereby effect the perfect melding of the reinforce to the shell and the perfect union of the two surfaces which have the adhesive material applied thereto. Such molding of the reinforce to the shell and perfect union of the two are requisite in a perfect brush.

lVhat I claim is- 1. Abrnsh having a body composed of two sheet-metal shells, bristles set in perforations in one of the shells, a mass of cement or composition reinforcing such shell and having the inner ends of the bristles embedded therein, and a second reinforce iitted within the other shell and having its surface conformed to the interior surface of the latter shell and united thereto, substantially as described.

2. A brush havingabody composed of two sheet-metal shells, bristles set in perforations in one of the shells, a mass of cement or composition reinforcing such shell and having the inner ends of the bristles embedded therein, and a second reinforce fitted Within the other shell, extending into the handle portion thereof, and having its surface conformed to the interior surface of the latter shell and united thereto, substantially as described.

I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALANSON C. ESTABROOK.

itnesses:

GEORGE II. RAY, R. L. PORTER. 

